Six employees of Frankfurt Airport in Germany have contracted malaria. The number of airport staff who have died from the disease has risen to two, after an initial single fatality. The cases were confirmed by airport operator Fraport and the Robert Koch Institute. In mid-July, four cases had been r…
Six employees of Frankfurt Airport in Germany have contracted malaria. The number of airport staff who have died from the disease has risen to two, after an initial single fatality. The cases were confirmed by airport operator Fraport and the Robert Koch Institute. In mid-July, four cases had been reported, but the total number then rose to six. The other four workers affected by the disease are undergoing specific medical treatment. The first death was verified in early July, but the cause was only confirmed after the patient's death. The second death occurred in August and was announced by airport operator Fraport on August 26. According to initial reports, the infections are linked to so-called 'Airport-Malaria', a rare mode of transmission outside areas where the disease is present. One or more infected mosquitoes may have arrived at the airport in mid-summer, transported in an aircraft's cargo hold or luggage from a high-risk area, and then bitten and infected airport workers. Mosquito traps have been set up inside the airport and some specimens have already been killed. The animals will be sent to Antwerp for analysis to check for the presence of the malaria parasite. Fraport has also informed employees, urging them to see a doctor if they experience symptoms compatible with the disease and to report their work activity at the airport. 'Our specialized units are closely monitoring the situation,' said a Fraport spokesperson. 'No person-to-person transmission' The Robert Koch Institute reported other cases in July and August in the Rhine-Main metropolitan area, whose origin is likely linked to work at Frankfurt Airport. However, health authorities have clarified that person-to-person transmission plays no role: infection occurs through mosquito bites.
